


All I'm Good For (Is Loving You)

by GaHoolianGirl



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Genre: After the Arishok fight, Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Injury, M/M, There is more happiness than the summary implies I promise, post act 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-01
Updated: 2016-04-01
Packaged: 2018-05-30 11:06:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6421498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GaHoolianGirl/pseuds/GaHoolianGirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was about 40 minutes, if Anders could guess correctly from how low the sun had gotten. Hawke was standing for 40 minutes after fighting the Arishok before he collapsed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All I'm Good For (Is Loving You)

**Author's Note:**

> As always, my Blue-with-occasional-purple Hawke, Kierian. I could probably get more views if I used Garrett but whatever. I never clarified before but he looks like the default male Hawke, just with much, much darker skin.

It was about 40 minutes, if Anders could guess correctly from how low the sun had gotten. Hawke was standing for 40 minutes after fighting the Arishok before he collapsed.

Anders had been at his side, and knelt to him the moment his body crumpled to the floor and the healer scrambled to remove his heavy plate armor as they were surrounded by their companions. The wound had been hard to see, even with the large hole from where the Arishok’s blade suspended him in the air. Anders could remember that moment vividly, and the fear for Kierian’s life it evoked. He had been right.

“Maker, how were you even standing...” his hands lit up with healing magic, but all the blood made it difficult to know where to concentrate his energy.

“Can’t have...the new Champion collapsing in front...of everyone,” Hawke heaved out. Anders didn’t know it was in jest, or he was just that selfless; he also didn’t care. He did everything in his immediate power, but Kierian seemed no more likely to stand up, mostly due to blood loss. The warrior gave him a pitiful smile before slipping out of consciousness.

* * *

 It was about three hours before Kierian awoke. The sun had long since settled down, and the moon had taken it’s place. Coming into the estate carrying a bloodied and unconscious Hawke had given the household staff quite a scare, but he managed to get their cooperation after some gentle chastising ( _‘Hawke is bleeding to death so could you all calm down and get me some bandages and water!’_ ).

He just sat next to Hawke’s bed, waiting for him to wake up. Stripped bare, his injuries were plain to see. Nasty bruising on his shoulders and legs, with many smaller scars along with the red, glaring gash in the middle of his stomach. Anders had been able to mitigate a lot of the internal bleeding, but because Kierian had waited so long, he could do little for the scars.

Finally, the warrior’s eyes opened, and he blinked, adjusting to the sudden presence of light.

“Thank the Maker! How are you feeling?” _Of course he’s feeling like shit, because you didn’t notice how badly he was hurt earlier._

“I’ve...seen better days,” he said, voice cracking from a dry throat. Anders grabbed the cup of water he had placed on the dresser, bringing it to Hawke’s lips so he could take small sips, “Have I been out for very long?”

“For several hours.”

“Hours? Ah,” he looked up at the healer’s face, reaching a still feeble hand to caress his cheek, “I’ve worried you, haven’t I, love?”

Anders didn’t realize it until then, but he was was stuck in a concerned scowl. He loosened his brow, gently removing the hand from his face. “You gave me quite a scare, I must admit. Next time, tell me when you’re injured instead of bearing with it for nearly an hour. I can’t heal a dead man.” His sentence ended more bitterly than intended.

“I’m sorry, Anders. I just...everyone was watching, and I can’t bear to let anyone down.”

“I know that. All too well.” His voice cracked, and he berated himself, _He’s the one who deserves to be breaking down,_ “Just...dying would be letting a lot of people down. Think of Bethany.” _And me,_ almost escaped him, but he bit his tongue.

Regardless of whether he spoke the words aloud or not, Hawke seemed to hear them. As he always seemed to. “I will try to be more careful. I promise.”

Anders let out a dry chuckle that lacked any true amusement, “You make far too many promises, love.”

Kierian's voice regained some strength, and he lifted himself off the bed an inch or so on his elbows. Anders immediately put a hand on his bicep to steady him. His voice was earnest and his expression somber, “And I intend to keep every one of those promises, Anders.”

The mage’s eyes grew wide, and it took more strength to resist tightening the grip on his arm that it would have to do so. “All of them? Even the one...about me staying here? With you?”

“Especially that one!” Kierian said with a laugh, as if it was ridiculous that Anders ever doubted it, “I would be rather put-out myself if you didn’t stay. Now more than ever, considering I have a rib or two that’s broken.”

“And that’s all I’m good for?” Anders gently teased, though his smile didn’t reach his eyes like it would have in days past.

Kierian grinned widely. Getting a smile from Anders in recent days was no small feat, but it was a challenge he was always willing to surmount, “You’re good for plenty, I assure you. Healing my constantly broken bones is just one of your more often used talents.”

“Something I cannot understand you being glib about,” Anders’ tone was still light, but it carried an undercurrent of worry. Hawke brought his hand, stronger but still shaking, to Anders’ arm.

“I’m sorry about that, love. But...I can’t ignore people who need my help. It’s not in my nature.”

Anders placed his hand atop of the one of his arm. His feeble smile returned, and he shook his head, “And I wish for you to be no other way. You make this city livable for so many people. The elves, the mages...they’ve a bad lot that would be worse without you.”

He leaned down, giving the warrior a feather-light kiss on the forehead. “But you can’t help anyone bruised and battered beyond repair.”

“Well, now you’ve guilted me,” laying back down with a low hiss, “I can’t die.”

Anders smiled ruefully, reaching out a hand touch the spot he had kissed, “Even if you decided otherwise, I would never have let you.”

“It’s good then that I have my nice strong mage to protect me, isnt it?”

Anders smiled, and this time it reached and crinkled at his eyes, “You bet it is.”

Hawke paused, staring directly at the mage’s face with intensity. Anders felt his cheeks warm up at the earnest gaze, “What is it?”

“...You smiled!” Kierian answered in a giddy laugh, grinning like a young boy “You really smiled!”

“I-What?”

As fragile as he was at the moment, Kierian stretched his arms up and got his hands on Ander’s shoulders, pulling him down into a hug. “Hawke, your wounds! You have to-”

“I have to be hugging you at the moment, love. You saved my life. And you smiled for me!” He kissed Anders cheek, still smiling, “That’s worth a few reopened wounds to me.”

Biting back a comment about how _Closing those reopened wounds will be hard on me,_ Anders snaked his hands underneath Hawke’s torso and squeezed him in a gentle hug. Worrisome lover that he was, more than anything else, he was grateful that Hawke was still breathing.

“Please, don’t die...”

“Well, you’ve patched me up quite well-”

“Don’t leave me alone.”

“Oh.”

The mood had turned somber again. Kierian lifted Anders’ head off his chest to look him in the eyes, “I would fight and kill a hundred Arishoks for you, Anders, if it meant staying by your side.”

Afraid he might cry, Anders tried to extricate himself from Hawke’s grasp, but even in his weakened condition, the warrior was stronger than him, keeping him held tight, “Stay the night with me, Anders?”

“But-”

“But nothing. Grant the injured man’s request?”

Though his compulsion to _work work work_ was tugging at the back of his mind like a puppeteer's strings, he just shook his head indulgently, gently nudging Hawke to move over so he could he besides him. He briefly worried that Kierian would want him to change out of his grubby clothes, but the champion just enveloped him in an embrace.

“G’night, love...” Kierian muttered, eyes fluttering close and his breath steadying. Anders watched his chest move with his breathing for a moment, a palm held against one of his wounds.

“Sleep well...” he whispered into the night, closing his eyes and sleeping better than he had in weeks, listening to his champion’s breath rise and fall.•

**Author's Note:**

> I rather like this one.


End file.
